On June 9th, during the National Heroes Day celebrations, Bishop Lubowa stunned the country by asking the President for another vehicle. While the request itself was not inherently problematic, it puzzled many clergy members, particularly because some bishops, like The Rt. Rev. Wilson Kissekka of Luwero, had not received a single car at their consecration.
Bishop Lubowa attempted to justify his request by saying, “2026 is close.” This cryptic statement added another layer of mystery to an already controversial situation. Was 2026 a year of mission requiring urgent need for the car?
With many questions left unanswered and the audience visibly puzzled, it became clear that the bishop’s request for a second car was ill-timed and potentially overshadowed the solemn occasion. The pleas for another car, combined with the stunned silence from his religious colleagues who stood with him at the podium, raised questions about how much one man’s episcopal career—and the church to which he belongs—could bear in what was one of the most embarrassing incidents ever.
The human cost of war will always underpin memorial traditions like Uganda Heroes Day. While time may cloud memory and mollify grief, the bishop should have been the last person to ask for cars, thereby potentially belittling the bravery of our young sons and daughters who sacrificed their lives for our future.
Bishop Lubowa should have known that the gathering at Mpenja was not just a memorial event but a celebration of the unity that our fallen heroes fought for. He should have used his opening prayer to rally the audience to embrace government interventions aimed at freeing us from poverty, such as poverty alleviation and youth livelihood programs.
He could have also used the free publicity to share theological and biblical insights on sacrifice and self-denial, as exemplified by our fallen heroes, and demonstrate how these values translate into a resolute fight against social ills like corruption. Corruption is high on the government agenda as it undermines the dignity, potential, and contributions of individuals in society and tarnishes the image of God in all of us (Gen. 1:27).
The President might have understood the bishop’s pleas if they had focused on the proclamation of the Gospel, partly because he recognizes how preaching the Word nourishes the country spiritually (Mat. 4:4) and underscores values of honesty, integrity, and accountability. However, it was unclear to the President why the senior man of God would ambush him at a solemn event devoted solely to the memory of our fallen heroes.
Additionally, it was unclear why the bishop would prioritize material gain over his canonical obligations to preach the Gospel, for which he swore an oath to protect when he was consecrated and enthroned as bishop at St. John’s Cathedral, Kasaka, Gomba-Mpigi in January 2017. Analysts contend that this unfortunate incident is a hole the bishop dug for himself.
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